Databases are containers created to store, retrieve, and manage large quantities of information. The database can store the information according to a schema which implements the relevant data structures within the database. The schema can be created from a database model that reflects the structure of the information to be stored in the database.
As more information is added to a database, the size of the database grows. This can cause performance issues, particularly when attempting to locate data in the database. Typically, a database search is performed by a database management system. The database management system receives a search request containing search parameters and searches the database for entries according to the search parameters. Depending on the size of the database, the customer can experience a delay between submitting the search request and receiving the results. As databases grow, the delay can also grow, sometimes exponentially.
Besides database size, the delay can also grow due to the complexity of the search request. For example, a search request for a range of values can incur an additional delay since the entire range must be checked for in the database. Similarly, complex search queries require additional processing time. For example, a search request containing conditional statements such as “and” and “or” take more processing time since each conditional parameter must be examined. In certain scenarios such as a business environment, searching the database can be undesirably slow due to the length of these delays.